New York City

Places to Dine On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Christmas is less than 10 days away. Restaurants across the city are offering dinner specials and tasting menus for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Here are some picks from LookyTasty.com:

Nick & Toni’s Cafe in the Upper West Side will be offering some seafood a la carte specials on Christmas Eve. You’ll find Bay Scallop Ceviche with pomegranate, a Grilled Lobster appetizer, and a Roasted Halibut with cauliflower puree, chanterelles and winter truffles entree. For dessert, they have a Toasted Pandora, an Italian sweetbread, with pomegranate cranberry compote and a side of Chestnut gelato. There’s Eggnog Truffles too.

Moran’s Chelsea will be serving a special Christmas Eve dinner accompanied with holiday jazz tunes by a live three-piece band. Appetizers on the menu include Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Bisque, and Maryland Crab Cakes. For the main course, enjoy Prime New York Strip Sirloin Steak, Prime Ribs of Beef, Filet Mignon, Grilled Lamb Chops, Roasted Chicken, Lobster Stuffed Sole, Salmon Wellington, Surf and Turf, or an Eggplant Napoleon.

Pescatore Restaurant in Midtown East will serve their festive dinner on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Their menu will feature items like a Halibut a la Plancha with celery root purée, kale and creamy shellfish vinaigrette and a Chilean Sea Bass with black pasta served with a puttanesca sauce.

And if you’re looking for a Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, here are two suggestions. Restaurant Hearth in the East Village has their feast for $92 per person. Start off the feast with a Baccalà Mantecato, a whipped dried cod spread and an Octopus Carpaccio. Then comes the Ceci bean soup with shrimp, the Linguini and Clams, and a Cacciucco fish stew with black bass, calamari, and mussels. Finish the feast with Chocolate Panna Cotta and cookies.

Louro NYC in the West Village will be offering their Feast of Seven Fishes tasting menu for $85 per person. Start with Piri Piri Shrimp and Seafood Fritters for the whole table. Then there’s an Uni Crudo, Mackerel with puffed wild rice, Sepia with potatoes, Lobster Fra Diavolo pasta, and a Roasted Monkfish ragu. For dessert, there’s Chocolate Brownie.

They will also have a three course Christmas Eve prix fixe for $55 that sounds just as delightful. Choices for appetizers include a Chestnut soup, Pumpkin Salad, and a couple more. With five choices of entrees, there’s Monkfish, Striped Bass, 28 day dry-aged Ribeye, Venison, and even Suckling Pig. Complete the meal with a piece of Molten Chocolate Cake or some Apple Cider Beignets.

And for Christmas Day, The Russian Tea Room has quite a fantastic three course prix fixe menu. The menu is $105 per person. Choose from appetizers like a Zakuski with mixed smoked fish with house pickled vegetables, a Team Room Red Borscht soup, and a few others. There’s also quite a number of options for the entree – Pan seared Sea Bass, Boeuf à la Stroganoff, Kulebiaka, Chicken Kiev, Roasted Piglet, Potato Vareniki, and Grilled Rib Eye. Complete your feast with Tea Room Blintzes pancakes with ice cream, a Chocolate mousse Pyramid, or a piece of Traditional Vanilla cheesecake. There’s an option to get that sprinkled with edible gold too.